Micah's Turning 29! (And Hosting a Fundraiser to Celebrate!)

It's My Birthday!
(almost...)

(Cue the shameless self-promotion!)

Photo by Julia Seymour

On March 3, I will turn 29 years old. Wahoo! In celebration of the last year of my twenties, I'm hosting a fundraiser for Greenbrier Valley Theatre, the not-for-profit professional theatre where I work in West Virginia.

With Hannah & Courtney in rehearsal for The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail
at Greenbrier Valley Theatre (2013).

If you think theatre is an awesome way to spend time with friends, engage with important social issues and classic literary works, and learn to connect better with the world around us, this is your chance to help make sure that high-quality theatrical opportunities keep happening in southern West Virginia. Plus, you're helping me reach my fundraising goals!

The Goal: $2,900.00

The Launch: February 3, 2015*

The Deadline: March 3, 2015

(a.k.a. my birthday!)

Here's how you can help:

Step 1: Visit my fundraising page at crowdrise.com.

Step 2: Click the DONATE button.

Step 3: Follow the instructions.

Step 4: Revel in the knowledge that you're making awesome happen in southern West Virginia and also that my birthday is more spectacular because of YOU!

Photo by Lovely Rita, Photographer

This is the dance I will do if you donate to my birthday campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions**

Why did I pick Crowdrise?
They have snarky and hilarious customer service with emails that incorporate words like egregious and besmirchment. Also, they apologize profusely for grammar gaffes, and that amuses me.

Isn't this kind of self-serving?
Yes. But it's my birthday so I hope you'll indulge me.

What if you don't reach your goal?
Greenbrier Valley Theatre gets to keep all of the funds that are donated (minus fees), whether we reach the goal or not!

What if you DO reach your goal?
I'll have the best 29th birthday I could ever have imagined and celebrate the success with a delicious dessert from one of our local eateries. (Okay, I'll do that anyway...)

Do I get anything for donating?
My eternal gratitude and a handwritten thank you note. Optional theatre-related perks are available to donors who give $250 or more. If you want to know about those, give me a call at the theatre (304.645.3838 ext. 110) and I'll tell you all about them. Additional surprises TBD?

How does the theatre get the money?
All donations on Crowdrise will be processed through Network for Good and distributed directly to Greenbrier Valley Theatre. I won't ever see your credit card information. Neither will anyone else at the theatre.

How will the theatre spend my money?
All proceeds from my birthday fundraiser on Crowdrise go toward Greenbrier Valley Theatre's 2015 Annual Campaign and will help underwrite general operating and production expenses so that we can do things like this!

What if I don't want to donate online, but I still want to participate?
You can send a check to:

Greenbrier Valley Theatre
Attn: Micah's Birthday Campaign

P.O. Box 494
Lewisburg, WV 24901

You can also call me at the office and donate by phone using your credit or debit card: 304.645.3838 ext. 110.

Anything else?
Ask me in the comments.

*Technically, the campaign went live on January 23, but active promotion began Feb. 3.
**Okay, so no one has actually asked these questions, but just in case anyone was wondering...

Reading in 2015: A Brief History of Time

In yet another deviation from the reading list, the second new-to-me book of 2015 was Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. (Have you seen The Theory of Everything yet? No? You should. Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones turn in striking and moving performances as Stephen and Jane Hawking.)

I don't have a lot to see about A Brief History of Time because I'm fairly certain I didn't understand most of it beyond a general comprehension of the words on the page. Still, I don't know if I'll ever be able to watch Doctor Who again without contemplating the feasibility of time travel. However, Hawking writes in an accessible style, and although I found the science intimidating, I still enjoyed the book on the whole and might take another crack at it next year.

Up next: Not sure. Maybe The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.

The Books I'm Reading in 2015

Every year, I tell myself, "Under no circumstances are you to acquire more books until you have finished the hundreds that lie around unread on the shelves in your living room!" Every year, I ignore that order, and lo and behold . . . more books! I have no idea how this happens. Okay, I do have some clue. It has to do with paperbackswap, free books, and the local library book sale. These are all dangerous avenues to increasing the library.

It is unlikely I will stop acquiring books. It is a thing that happens and has been happening since before I can remember and will continue happening. So rather than setting a goal about not having more books, I have opted for more specific reading goals. These goals are attached to definite numbers and titles so that I can work my way through the existing living room library.

The broad goal for 2015 is to read two new-to-me books each month. To that end, I have set aside these 24 titles to read:

The Mill for Grinding Old People Young - Glenn Patterson

Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes

The Time Machine - H.G. Wells

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan

Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

Jacob's Room - Virginia Woolf

The Hours - Michael Cunningham

Up in the Air - Walter Kirn

My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante

The Edible Woman - Margaret Atwood

Snow Flower & the Secret Fan - Lisa See

The Story of My Life - Helen Keller

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Rhoda Janzen

Then Again - Diane Keaton

Tim Tebow: Through My Eyes - Tim Tebow

The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers - Maria von Trapp

Anna and the King of Siam - Margaret Landon

This I Remember - Eleanor Roosevelt

Tammy Wynette: Tragic Country Queen - Jimmy McDonough

Grace of Monaco - Steven Englund

The Letters of Abelard & Heloise

Dreams in a Time of War - Ngugi wa Thiong'o

I'm also really excited about Amy Poehler's Yes, Please and B.J. Novak's The Book with No Pictures. I'll be picking up Novak's book at the library tomorrow!

What are you reading this year? Anything you're particularly excited about or have been waiting to read for ages? Tell me in the comments about the tales that await you in 2015.